Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield. Photo credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
The Montreal Canadiens had a day off Sunday, but that doesn't mean there is no news to report this morning. In the morning, Moneypuck.com posted an interesting table on it's X account of the league's highest scoring lines per 60 minutes, and the Habs' top line figures relatively high on the list.
Montreal Canadiens - 2025 Trade Deadline Hub
Jake Evans Could Be The Perfect Target
Three Takeaways From The Canadiens' Win Over The Sabres
The top spot belongs to the Columbus Blue Jackets' top line of Dimitri Voronkov, Sean Monahan, and Kirill Marchenko. In second place is the line everyone would have thought to be first, the Edmonton Oilers' combination of Zach Hyman, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Rounding up the top three is the Washington Capitals' unit of Alexander Ovechkin, Ryan Strom and Aliaksei Protas.
The Canadiens' top line featuring Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky lands in seventh place, just ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs' combination of Matthews Knies, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. According to the table, the line has played 44 games together, spending 428.3 minutes on the ice and account for 29 goals for and 22 goals against. They score 4.06 goals per 60 minutes (the top line is at 5.75), but they also give 3.08 goals against per 60 minutes, the fifth worst total amongst the 20 top lines listed in the table.
Clearly, there's still work to be done on the defensive side of the game, but the line sure is clicking when it's time to put the puck in the net. It will be very interesting to see if the line sticks if Ivan Demidov comes over next season and once he has gotten used to the North American game.
As talented as he is, Demidov will need an adaptation period, but once that period is over and if he's as good as scouts predict he will be, he could be first line material for the Canadiens. That possibility makes it even more urgent for the Canadiens to find an offensive second line center who will be able to get the best out of the winger who ends up being the odd man out.
With Kirby Dach's latest injury and what he has shown this season, Kent Hughes has to move on and find a real offensive threat for his center line, he cannot just rely on the Suzuki line, not that he wants to, but good offensive centers are hard to come by. He pulled the trigger on both Dach and Alex Newhook and neither has impressed with the Canadiens so far. Will it make Hughes a bit more trigger shy? Maybe, time will tell, but I fully expect him to move before the start of next season to shore up his center line, he has no choice, especially if Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak are gone.
Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, never to miss a story.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.
Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.